Indian Railway has one of the lowest train fares in the world.
Indian Railway ticket reservation system used to be manual until the
late 1980's. It was only in 1986 that the first computerized
reservation center was opened at New Delhi. In 1995, the whole
ticketing system became internet-friendly and one could access
latest information regarding status and availability. In the present
day, the ticketing network has been computerized to a great extent
with the exception of some far-flung areas.
The big cities
provide the facility of booking tickets for any two points
throughout the country. An access to Indian Railway tickets became
easy with the advent of internet and mobile phones. However, this
means you need to pay some additional surcharges along with the
basic amount. People, who use rail services frequently can purchase
a season pass (monthly or quarterly) to enjoy unlimited travel
between two places.
Senior citizens are allowed to get
discount on the actual price of tickets. Other categories of
discounted tickets take in the disabled, students and high ranking
government officials. In the lowest class of accommodation of
passenger train, one compartment is assigned for ladies. There are
several berths or seats in second class and sleeper class that are
reserved for ladies. One can also opt for season tickets, which
permit unlimited travel on particular trains for a particular period
of time.
In case of long-distance travel, one can go for
reservation of berth two months before the actual date of journey to
ensure relaxed travel. To book an Indian Rail Ticket, details like
name, age, concession (if qualified) etc. are essential. The price
of ticket generally includes the base fare depending on the
categorization of the train. In a case of non availability of seats,
a ticket is issued with a wait listed number mentioned on it. If the
ticket comprises both berth and coach number, it suggests that
ticket is confirmed.
The person, who has got a wait listed
ticket, should wait until there are adequate cancellations to permit
him/ her to get a confirmed ticket. In case, the ticket doesn't get
confirmed till the day of departure, the person is not allowed to
board the train. There are some tickets under the category of RAC or
Reservation against Cancellation, which shows they are between the
waiting list and the confirmed list. With these tickets, one gets
permit to board the train and take an allotted seat offered by the
ticket collector.
Today, a person can book tickets and can
even cancel them online. The non-reserved tickets can be purchased
from the platform at any time before departure. The non-reserved
ticket holders can only board the general compartment class as per
the rule. Most of the suburban networks provide non-reserved tickets
that are applicable for a limited time period. An Indrail Pass is
available for foreign tourists, to allow them unlimited travel in
India for a particular time period.
